Giro stage 20 ‘Spoiler’

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Comments

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,185
    There's no chance of him finishing top 15 (unless he swaps numbers with Thomas ;) ). Don't forget, he'll be knackered after dragging himself through the last two days. It will be a case of so many what ufs for him, two crashes not his fault, messed up corner on the Ferrari stage and then getting beaten by Guirdini. Considering how few sprint stages there were he did well to get so close.
  • DF33
    DF33 Posts: 732
    What about the mankini? The comments were classic
    Peter
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Nothing to hide apparently.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,310
    Assuming the Giro organisers want sprinters to stay in the race until the end you'd think they'd restructure the red jersey with the points weighted towards sprint stages and intermediates in the mountains

    TBH I'm suprised any of the sprinters stayed past stage 13
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Interesting

    http://twitter.com/RobbieHunter/status/ ... 0613057537
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Another excellent stage! Go on, someone say they didn't enjoy it. :D

    Ride of the day has to go to De Gendt, stage win the the Stelvio, Cima Coppi and a very, very good shot at winning the race. Can't be bad. And runner up for ride of the day would go to Vande Velde, didn't expect him to last quite so long on the front on the Stelvio. Wonder how much that group would have lost if he wasn't there?

    Not really sure about the tactics of some of the other teams. Not sure how they benefited from not helping Garmin out. Surely the De Gendt move could have be closed down on the valley road before the Stelvio. It was a pretty large group that got to the bottom of the climb. Pretty much all the top GC riders had team mates there. Oh well, that's bike racing for you, great to see a bold move pay off.

    Think De Gendt is now the favourite now, based on previous form. Could go either way though after 3 weeks of racing. Not sure about Cavendish though, has he ever had to go full gas in such a TT? Route could suit him though, it's a city centre TT, lots of corners, could favour a sprinter, but not sure if it's enough for him. Suppose he will go for it whatever.

    Can't believe I'm looking forward to a TT! This can't be right. :D
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Another excellent stage! Go on, someone say they didn't enjoy it. :D

    So which other stages were as good as today's then?
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • ms_tree
    ms_tree Posts: 1,405
    You've all written off Rodriguez in the TT but cast your mind back to the Tour when Sastre won. Everyone said that Evans would beat him by minutes but Evans had a bad TT and Sastre did a brilliant one. Don't forget the legend that is the leader's jerseys gives some sort of extra 'power'.
    'Google can bring back a hundred thousand answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.'
    Neil Gaiman
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    The Mad Rapper wrote:
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    One other question remains: Can Cav finish 15th or better, tomorrow?

    I don't know. I know he is decent at TT, but whether he's 15th best or better I have no clue. Motivation may play a huge part, a lot of riders have nothing to ride for so he may be able to make places up that way.
    It's at the end of a tour, after a number of mountain stages. No chance.
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    Nice cliffhanger situation for the final TT. Reminds me a bit of 2000.
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Another excellent stage! Go on, someone say they didn't enjoy it. :D

    So which other stages were as good as today's then?

    Just as I thought, always one miserable sod. OK, I've enjoyed all the stages in the last week except the one to Falzes.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Ms Tree wrote:
    You've all written off Rodriguez in the TT but cast your mind back to the Tour when Sastre won. Everyone said that Evans would beat him by minutes but Evans had a bad TT and Sastre did a brilliant one. Don't forget the legend that is the leader's jerseys gives some sort of extra 'power'.

    Like the extra power Andy Schleck had at final TT at the Tour last year. :wink:
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Like the extra power Andy Schleck had at final TT at the Tour last year. :wink:

    Do you mean last year, or the year before. Where he won the Tour?
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Another excellent stage! Go on, someone say they didn't enjoy it. :D

    So which other stages were as good as today's then?

    Just as I thought, always one miserable sod. OK, I've enjoyed all the stages in the last week except the one to Falzes.
    Just as I thought, your answer, had you given it, is none of them.

    I'm glad you have enjoyed it all.
    I'll miss it too, when it's not around, come Monday.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    iainf72 wrote:
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Like the extra power Andy Schleck had at final TT at the Tour last year. :wink:

    Do you mean last year, or the year before. Where he won the Tour?

    Ooh, I don't know. Isn't beef far more powerful than what colour jersey you wear?
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    greasedscotsman wrote:

    Ooh, I don't know. Isn't beef far more powerful than what colour jersey you wear?

    It is indeed :lol:

    That "jersey gives you wings" thing happened a lot in EPO-era. Remember when Pantani could suddenly time trial
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Another excellent stage! Go on, someone say they didn't enjoy it. :D

    So which other stages were as good as today's then?

    Just as I thought, always one miserable sod. OK, I've enjoyed all the stages in the last week except the one to Falzes.
    Just as I thought, your answer, had you given it, is none of them.

    I'm glad you have enjoyed it all.
    I'll miss it too, when it's not around, come Monday.

    Oops, my bad. Have I misunderstood you there? Not really sure if you enjoyed it or not? Oh well, not long until the Critérium du Dauphiné!
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    I'm scoring this Giro a 6/10

    Could be a 6.5 depending on what happens tomorrow.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    iainf72 wrote:
    I'm scoring this Giro a 6/10

    Could be a 6.5 depending on what happens tomorrow.

    What was your mark for last year's race?
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    greasedscotsman wrote:

    What was your mark for last year's race?

    4 or 5 I think.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    iainf72 wrote:
    greasedscotsman wrote:

    What was your mark for last year's race?

    4 or 5 I think.

    Blimey, not much better then. My ranking system is a little different. So far I would award this...

    borat_nice-1.jpg

    But of course that might change after tomorrow's stage. :D
  • Jez mon
    Jez mon Posts: 3,809
    Also is this rating system based on what you expect from the Giro, or the average grand tour? As some on here seem to expect slightly more from the Giro, than say the Tour...
    You live and learn. At any rate, you live
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Jez mon wrote:
    Also is this rating system based on what you expect from the Giro, or the average grand tour? As some on here seem to expect slightly more from the Giro, than say the Tour...

    Grand Tour, in general.

    So, 2011 TdF got over an 8, same for 2010 Giro (which got a 9). You had to go back to 2005 for the previous 8+ which was the 2005 Giro.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    How much influence would a favourite rider winning have? :wink:
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    How much influence would a favourite rider winning have? :wink:

    Not much.

    I think most people would agree 2010 Giro was a stone cold classic
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Jez mon
    Jez mon Posts: 3,809
    iainf72 wrote:
    Jez mon wrote:
    Also is this rating system based on what you expect from the Giro, or the average grand tour? As some on here seem to expect slightly more from the Giro, than say the Tour...

    Grand Tour, in general.

    So, 2011 TdF got over an 8, same for 2010 Giro (which got a 9). You had to go back to 2005 for the previous 8+ which was the 2005 Giro.

    Seems legit :D

    Personally, I'll always have a soft spot for the 2006 Giro, partly because I got to watch pretty much every stage live whilst on GCSE "study leave" :lol: and partly because seeing my favourite cyclist at the time absolutely annihilate the field was good fun, although it didn't necessarily make for what is typically considered exciting racing. Of course, subsequently I realised how he was doing it :(
    You live and learn. At any rate, you live
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,793
    i would say it was a very good giro.. todays stage was very good indeed

    as good as 2010... maybe not but close
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Thomas de Gendt; what a f*cking hero.
    _
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,793
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Thomas de Gendt; what a f*cking hero.

    turned it all upside down

    the disintergration of the peloton denied any team of control and the myriad groups on the road allowed de gendt to move from group to group and help him into the last 20 odd k


    ryder put in a very good defensive effort 2-3k from the top from a very difficult tactical situation


    30k I think ryder will hang on .... I think

    they have got it all to ride for.
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,793
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Thomas de Gendt; what a f*cking hero.

    one of the great rides
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm

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